Have to agree with "Monumental's" rave out of Blighty, but the consensual 9.3, in view of much more "substantial" flicks and maybe even some teleseries, seems to me effusive. This David Milch oeuvre merits same, certainly, for setting and costume and the casting and acting are nonpareil throughout. But, at heart, this too is a "fable" of unrelenting stance and style and occasionally eyebrow-raising discomfitures of character and/or situation. The cussing becomes ho-hum, as intended?, but it's the facile morphings of Swearingen and Bullock from scary villain to almost-lovable reprobate and stalwart no-nonsense hero to acquiescent second-banana. In this view, Brad Dourif's "Doc" is the most consistent and audience-friendly of the lot, even if he's almost too worldly and wise, it would seem, for both period and locale. At bottom, the series is a direct peel-off from the late, great "Hill Street Blues" template, from ensemble characterizations to the true-blue "realisms" of the respective subjects and themes. Still, none of this takes away from the incredibly maintained mise-en-scene that would do credit to any filmmaker, much less mere teleseries wonks. What?, the latter are making monkeys out of the former nowadays. Oh, minor quibbles: meseems poor Calamity Jane has been overworked for comic relief sometimes, and, I would be curious for the historic citations for the likes of Mr. Wu and his pigpen. Nice designated pinch hitter though, for exotic "color"? The game's underfoot, Watson.<br /><br />Addendum: After turning cartwheels for the likes of Season 1, and even extending into Season 2, I, personally, revise my reactions halfway through the Season 3 episodes. There can be no question about the polished savvy of the creators here, indeed, their accomplishments seem all that more astonishing. But, to me, the fact of the matter is that by Season 3, "Deadwood" had become almost a parody of itself, which is to say, "high camp." I can't quite take seriously the evolutions herein, including the Earp brothers as Blackwater types, even as seasoned vets like Gerald McRaney and Brian Cox, and even Gale Harold, make you sit up and take notice despite your askance. ALL sustaining members of the ensemble cast continue to maintain their individual "roles," even Robin Weigard's? late-blooming lesbian, albeit the writers and directors have a hard time making it convincing. Someone has posted here the claim that this "Deadwood" is a dead ringer for the historic one, coming from a resident there it should matter, but, skeptic that I remain, I have to believe that it can only be "half" the "tale," entertaining and theatrical as it is. And, finally, I personally find two "racial" elements that fail to ring my bell, to wit, the characterizations of the Negro mama and stable owner, and, more to the point, that of Wu. In that last case, the writers DID ring in the verity of "heng-dai," but assembled 150 "Chinese" between Cheyenne and Deadwood? Oh, well, this IS a fable, no? And a damnably satisfying one at that. But, to me, its "history"city falls considerably short of that of its fellow stablemate telesries, "Rome," which evinces ALL the strengths and glories and less of the stagings and asides.